My first and ONLY dive trip of the year came last month on the Big Island of Hawaii. I had done night dives with mantas before, but I have never seen so many at one time. We had upwards of 25 mantas on site!! While not the most technically perfect shot - this was my favorite for this trip. The symmetry of these two avoiding each other reminds me of the controlled chaos of this dive.

Although this image tells a very tragic story it was my favorite of the year. It wasn't my favorite for the content, I knew taking this picture and showing it to others could help raise awareness for coastal destruction of mangroves. I was lucky enough to have this image selected as the grand prize winner in the SeaWeb/Marine Photo Bank Conservation Photography contest - where it got additional exposure.shot was taken in Bimini, Bahamas - just around the corner from the BBFS. Canon 20D in Aquatica, 2x Ike DS 125s 1/125th at f/16, ISO 100

cheers!

- MDP

Matthew D. Potenski

The Shark Research Institute -Director of Field OperationsBimini Biological Field Station - Sharklab - PIT Project Staff

2009 was a fun year. I made the leap to digital. Here is my special favorite. I have spent 14 years looking for a snowflake moray eel on the island of Saipan, Norther Mariana Islands and this year was the one. Canon G-10 with WPC-28 housing, S&S Y-110a strobe. Manual mode, F-8 @ 1/160 sec, ISO-80

Attached Images

Although this image tells a very tragic story it was my favorite of the year. It wasn't my favorite for the content, I knew taking this picture and showing it to others could help raise awareness for coastal destruction of mangroves. I was lucky enough to have this image selected as the grand prize winner in the SeaWeb/Marine Photo Bank Conservation Photography contest - where it got additional exposure.shot was taken in Bimini, Bahamas - just around the corner from the BBFS.

Although this image tells a very tragic story it was my favorite of the year. It wasn't my favorite for the content, I knew taking this picture and showing it to others could help raise awareness for coastal destruction of mangroves. I was lucky enough to have this image selected as the grand prize winner in the SeaWeb/Marine Photo Bank Conservation Photography contest - where it got additional exposure.

As so many have said, SIMPLY LOVE this post! What a feast for the eyes.

As quite a few before me, I am posting a photo which I wish was just slightly beter, but I still like it and it reminds me of a great day's diving. On this dive alone a doubled the number of nudibranch species i have seen to date:) This one is called a Corel Nudibranch and I will go back to get the photo just like I want it or enjoy trying:)

Interests:Stereo/3D Underwaterphoto/video-graphy, Marinelife and archaeology, diving and building cameraequipment.

Posted 31 December 2009 - 09:10 AM

Hi all Wetpixel members!

For me, 2009 was one of the most fantastic years of underwaterphotography. In February, my dream of a decade came true when I tested my homebuild slr-stereo-underwatercamera. Finally I'm able to put the undewater-nature and the wrecks of all kind in 3D

The pictures I share with you (Sorry for breaking the one-picture rule, but I really want to show you both WA and macro and that it can be done in both blue and murky waters!!) are for socalled CROSSEYE-VIEW. It might take some practice for most of you.... but the instructions are as followed: Look at the right picture with you left eye, and look at the left picture with your right eye... if you succeed you'll feel that the pictures popping out of the screen.

The last picture shows the use of my newbuild 3D display, made from 2 LCD digital photoframes (10") and a stereoscopic mirror. With polarized glasses it is possible to see the 3D-images in topquality with no loss of colors and light.... If you have seen the last movie of James Cameron, "Avatar" you should have an idea what it looks like..... the biggest difference is, that my pictures are from the real world!

This is my best shot of the year not quite upto the standard of the others that people have already posted! I only made it into the water once in 2009 and this was the pick of the bunch! Shot in Marsa Alam in June with a G9 and Inon z240.